1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an ear fitting piece, i.e. an earpiece for behind-the-ear (BTE) devices in the field of hearing acoustics.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
BTE devices are also frequently referred to as BTE secret ears (SE). In this connection, a relatively short sound tube is used, making it possible to noticeably reduce friction losses, particularly in the high-frequency sonic range.
However, the sound tube must be precisely positioned in or on the auditory canal, and for this purpose, an ear fitting piece, i.e. an earpiece is regularly used, which is individually adapted to the human anatomy of the ear of the patient to be treated. Up to the present date, various forms of earpieces have become common, with some, namely the so-called “open” BTE earpieces, being particularly preferred, in order to have the minimum possible effect on the auditory canal, caused by partially covering or closing it off in some regions, with a “foreign body.” These “open” BTE devices have the further advantage that the hearing capacity that still exists is impaired as little as possible in terms of its natural effect.
Known relevant earpieces are known as “SE shell shape, SE clip shape, or SE claw shape” (See Ulrich Voogdt: Otoplastik—Die individually Otoplastik zur Horgerate-Versorgung . . . [Earpieces—Individual earpieces for hearing aids . . . ], Volume 2 of the scientific series “Akademie für Hörgeräte-Akustik” [Academy for hearing device acoustics], Median-Verlag of Killisch-Horn GmbH, 1993). A modified version of these common earpieces is the “open” solution. However, all of the variants have the common feature that it is frequently not possible to make the hearing correction as natural as possible.
It is therefore the task of the invention to create an earpiece for an “open” BTE hearing aids, for CI components (cochlear implant microphone systems and CI BTE processors), or BTE tinnitus systems, which are characterized not only by a minimal feeling of wearing a foreign body, and good wearing comfort, but primarily in that natural sound processing in the human ear can be utilized with as little distortion as possible, in order to ensure a maximum degree of hearing correction and sense of natural hearing.